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John David Baker-Batsel 
(1933–2018)
written and read by Clay-Edward Dixon, 
Graduate Theological Union

John David Baker-Batsel, the second library director of Graduate 
Theological Union (1977–1990) and the first in our new library facility, 
passed away in Longmont, Colorado, on November 28, 2018.  

Before arriving at GTU, John was professor and librarian at Garrett 
Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois (1964–1977). He served as 
president of Atla from 1973 to 1974.

He is remembered foremost as a wonderful pastor and an 
administrator who would join in and get his hands dirty,

At the GTU, he had his hands full.  He continued the integration of 
the libraries of the member schools into a single library (finished in 
2005). Holdouts from the initial library integration—Pacific School of 
Religion and Starr King—were brought into the collection in the new 
building. Additional full-time staff was hired to meet the challenges 
of the new building. The library automation process improved.  
Collection development and other library policies and procedures 
were reviewed and updated to meet expanding academic and service 
demands. Working with Claude Welch, John established the GTU 
Archives and hired Lucinda Glenn as first archivist.

Born in Greenville, Kentucky, he received a BA from Lambuth 
College, 1955; BD, Vanderbilt Divinity School, 1959; MA, Vanderbilt 
University, 1962; and MLS, Peabody Library School, 1963. Ordained 

MEMORIALS
Robert Roethemeyer



44  ANNUAL YEARBOOK

to Methodist ministry in 1959, he served as a student pastor in the 
Memphis Annual Conference.

After retirement, he served on the General Board of the United 
Methodist Commission on Archives and History (1997–2001) and 
moved to the Boulder, Colorado area. There he enjoyed nature 
photography and spending time in the mountains. Always a person 
for others, he became a spiritual mentor to many and volunteered as 
a hospice chaplain.

John is survived by his wife of 38 years, Patricia Ann, four children, 
and an extended family. A memorial service took place on Thursday, 
December 6, 2018 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Longmont. 
John’s final resting place is the columbarium at the foot of the 
mountain that he loved.

Those who knew him respected him and remember him.

Don Haymes (1940–2019)
written by Scott D. Seay, Christian 
Theological Seminary; read by Robert 
Roethemeyer, Concordia Theological 
Seminary

Born in Chicago, Don Haymes completed his undergraduate degree 
at Rhodes College.  He later earned a Master of Library Science degree 
at the University of Tennessee and a Master of Theological Studies 
degree at Harvard University. He was a distinguished leader in 
theological librarianship and publishing, pursuing his passions as 
Editor-in-Chief at Mercer University Press, Director of Index Programs 
at Atla, and archivist at Christian Theological Seminary.

Don was a lifelong leader in the Churches of Christ, serving 
as a pastor of congregations and in social justice ministries. He 
was especially passionate about racial justice and the alleviation 
of poverty. As a scholar, he belonged to many professional 
organizations and published more than a dozen articles. Many in the 



Memorials  45

Churches of Christ and related groups benefitted from his capacious 
wisdom and expertise. His grateful colleagues honored him with 
a festschrift entitled, Restoring the First-Century Church in the Twenty-
First Century (Wipf and Stock, 2005).

Don was a lover of vintage automobiles and could “recite their 
details in a way that only connoisseurs and mechanics could 
understand.” A member of several automobile clubs, he especially 
enjoyed driving his own Studebaker truck. 

Don is survived by his wife, Betty (Hollis) Haymes, a son, Malcolm 
Haymes, and loving members of his extended family.

Page Allison Thomas 
(1936–2019)
written by Bridwell Library Staff; read by 
Jane Elder

Page Allison Thomas was born July 2, 1936 in Leslie, Arkansas, where 
he was raised. Page was licensed to preach in 1956 at the Leslie 
Methodist Church. He received a BA from Hendrix College in 1958 
and moved to Dallas to attend Perkins School of Theology at Southern 
Methodist University where he earned his BD in 1961. He preached 
at Bethel Methodist Church in Greenville, Texas from 1963 to 1965.

Page began working at Bridwell Library in September 1961, 
following his graduation from Perkins. His one-year contract turned 
into 46 years, giving him the longest single appointment in the United 
Methodist Church. He worked his way through every department in 
the library, culminating in his true research love as the director of the 
Center for Methodist Studies. His love of rare books led him on many 
adventures, including several trips to England. On one of these trips, 
he followed John Wesley’s ministry route. Page kept all the various 
evolutions of the Methodist Church structure in the United States 
firmly in his grasp and could aide any researcher with the ins and 
outs of the conferences, general conferences, and doctrines, down 



46  ANNUAL YEARBOOK

to the last detail.
Page was mentored by Kate Warnick, SMU’s first theological 

librarian, and worked for five directors: Decherd Turner, Jerry 
Campbell, Robert Maloy, Valerie Hotchkiss, and Roberta Schaafsma. 
He retired in 2007.

In his free time, Page enjoyed eating ice cream, blacksmithing, 
fishing, raising horses, and sharing these loves with his grandchildren.  
He reeled in his last fish on Shadow Lake in Arkansas in the summer 
of 2018 and passed away peacefully on Friday, March 8, 2019 in 
McKinney, Texas.


